Election Night in my House

It's over.  After a long night and constant checking in...it's done with.  Back to normal life.  Election night really was one to remember in my house.  It's finally finished, but it was exhausting.

That's because we had a possum in garage on election night.

That's right.  A possum came to eat may cats' food (and this is the 3rd time we've seen the fellow).  This is especially important because two of our three cats are kittens and spend most of their time right now in the garage.  And we had a possum.  Welcome to country living.

In the midst of the most contentious election in my lifetime and maybe in our country's history, I had a real homegrown problem to deal with.  And as the important decision our country was making gained clarity amidst the suspense with every vote tallied, I had an important issue to take care of myself.  And I was reminded of something very important.

Neither President-Elect Donald Trump nor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can or will help me get the possums out of my garage.

I had to work to trap it, protect our kittens, pray and hope that our big cat could fend for herself for the night outside the garage and try to get this taken care of.  And the results of the election offered no help.  By morning, the situation was resolved, the kittens are back in their space and life is back to normal.  It probably won't be the last possum, and it definitely won't be the last family semi-emergency.  And it was such a crucial reminder for me.

I have friends on all sides politically.  Some of them are celebrating today and some are lamenting.  I'm pretty fiercely independent, and I'm also mindful as a Christian leader that I deeply desire for my life and our church to reflect that God's heart, love and salvation is for all people -- liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat and Independent.  I have opinions, but I've never been a big 'side-picker' in politics because I know all candidates are a lot like me -- made in the image of God and yet deeply flawed.  However, I am keenly aware of the wool that perhaps we've all allowed to be pulled over our eyes this election.  And that's simply this:  that this election will provide us with answers and solutions to once and for all fix all our problems.

It won't.  You'll have to get rid of your own possums.  I like to say, "I've got dadding to do."  Being a dad is a verb for me most of the time.  I've got living to do.  I've got husbanding to do.  I've got pastoring to do.  I've got neighbor-loving to do.  I've got exercising to do.  I've got fixer-upper projects to do.  I've got financial planning to do.  I've got community involvement to do.  I've got reaching out to do.  I've got caring for the hurting to do.  I've got driving-my-boys-to-rec-league-basketball to do.

The rise of social media and endless political commentary has brought to life for me a dangerous attitude:  that a political figure offers all we need.  Neither Trump nor Clinton nor Johnson nor anyone offers such.  No president ever has.  No president ever will.

Jesus offers all we need.  Forgiveness, grace, salvation.  And then I still have to go live my life walking in grace.  And I'll still have to get rid of all the possums in my garage.  It's my responsibility, not any politicians, to be the best Christian, person, husband, father and citizen I can be.  And, honestly, election results will have little impact on that.  I get to choose how I live, and I get to be responsible for me.  And goodness, I've got enough to clean up in my own life.

What I will do is pray for President Obama and President-Elect Trump as they work through another shift in handing over of the Oval Office in a few months.  I'll continue to pray for elected officials and elections.  I'll continue to be informed and vote.  But, what I want to be most busy about is getting the possums out of my own garage.  I got one, but I think there's a lot more stuff inside my heart to clean out.